Erlich (L) and Ram at Davis Cup
Photo: Eli Elgarat
Harel Levy (archives)
Photo: Reuters
NY teens get lessons from Israeli tennis stars
Meetings initiated by Israeli Consulate in NY in effort to show New Yorkers a different side of Israel
Dozens of New York teens got a chance to meet Israeli top tennis players Andy Ram,
Jonathan Erlich and Harel Levy on Friday. The three arrived in New York in order to compete in the US 2009 Open championships, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the tennis world which commences this week.
The meeting with American teenagers took place in Manhattan. The Israeli pros gave the teens and their parents a tennis lesson, spoke with them about Israel and presented them with gifts they brought with them from the Holy Land.
"I hope none of you beat us because if that happens it will hurt my self confidence before the US Open championships games," Andy Ram jokingly told the youth. For many of the teens meeting the Israeli sportsmen was a dream come true.
"I'm a tennis fan and play every day so obviously I know these three guys. They are excellent players," said Donovan, a 15-year-old from Manhattan. "Andy won in Wimbledon and he plays much better than a lot of American tennis players," he added.
The American youths seem quite familiar with Israel's games program. "Do you know Federer and Nadal?" one of them asked. Ram responded, "We played against every great tennis player you could think of."
'Israel's best ambassadors'
The tennis workshop is part of a policy devised by Israeli Consul General in New York Assaf Shariv which organizes the arrival to the United States of singers, dancers, authors and Israeli athletes in the purpose of arranging meetings with American citizens.The sessions are very popular among the Americans who are surprised to discover Israel's other facets, not shown in their news broadcasts.
Shariv said that this isn't the first time he organized a meeting between top Israeli tennis players and an American audience. "These players are Israel's best ambassadors. When they're on the court they represent us and we stand behind them," he stated.
